Coating composition



' April 2, 1957 F. E. DRUMMOND 2,787,555

COATING COMPOSITION Filed April 20, 1954 INVENTOR Folsom E Druhzmund BY AM ATTORNEY-g United States Patent lice COATING COMPOSITION Folsom E. Drummond, Washington, D. 6., assignor to Midland Chemical Corporation, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Application April 20, 1954, Serial No. 424,295

2 Claims. (Cl. 106-193) This invention relates to coating composition and manner of applying the same.

The invention more particularly relates to coating compositions containing discrete particles of solids, of the same or different color, and which when applied to a base and suitably dried to form a film thereon, produces a finish which is durable and pleasing to the eye.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a coating composition which contains discrete particles such as staple glass fibers, or other filaments or fibers such as made from synthetics, plastics, cellulose, or animal fibers, for example wool, or vegetable fibers, such as cotton, flax, etc. The fibers are of substantially uniform length and thickness and may be of the same or different color and may be mixed to form a multi-colored finish or coating film for application as a single coat.

A further object of the invention is to provide a coating composition, for example in the form of a lacquer, varnish, paint, enamel, or aqueous emulsion, and in which the finely divided solid particles of fibers are admixed, the composition being adapted to be thinned and applied by spraying, brushing, rolling, or flowing, so as to produce a film upon drying having relatively uniform length fiber particles dispersed throughout the film, and which particles are of a size and dimension such as to be readily perceived by the naked eye.

Another object of the invention is to provide a composition of a character described, wherein one or more coating films containing staple glass fibers dispersed therein are adapted to be applied concurrently, or previously admixed to a surface to be coated whereby a decorative finish is provided thereon having different colors or shades as desired, the vehicle or matrix in each instance being substantially transparent or translucent to display the fiber structure and produce a mottled finish.

A further object of the invention is to provide a coating composition of the character described, wherein the vehicle or matrix provides a transparent or translucent bond for solid fiber particles dispersed therein, said particles being of the size to be readily perceived by the naked eye, and comprising glass fibers, synthetic fibers, or mixtures thereof, which fibers are in the form of rods.

Another object of the invention is to provide a composition of the character described, which is adapted for application as a single coat for covering metal, wood, textiles and the like surfaces to protect and decorate the same, and wherein the coating composition contains discrete dispersed solid rod-like particles which are of the same or different color, and which particles are of a size to form a raised embossed or pleated effect in the coating film.

Another object is to provide a composition and method for decorating articles wherein a film-forming coating composition is applied thereto in the form of a liquid coating composition in which the vehicle or matrix is substantially transparent and has dispersed therein solid rodlike particles of fibers such as glass or filaments of syn- :thetic cellulose or natural fibers to provide a coating com- 2,787,555 Patented Apr. 2,

position which, upon application as a single coat, covers mars and imperfections in the base surface and produces a decorative and durable coating for the article.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as the description proceeds.

In. accordance with the invention, liquid dispersions of the solid particles are provided by suitably admixing the fibers of the desired dimensions and color with the matrix or vehicle, the solid particles. being dispersed and suspended in the matrix. Dispersions of glass fibers, for example in a matrix of clear nitrocellulose lacquer or varnish, or synthetic resin may be made utilizing glass fibers of the same color or of different colors, which upon application to a surface produce upon drying, a finish having a fiber or woven-like texture. The solid particles of organic or inorganic fiber have a different refractive index from that of the matrix so that the fiber structure is magnified or made readily perceptible. In this manner dispersions containing the desired rod-like fiber particles may be utilized with vehicles such as commonly employed for preparation of lacquers, paints, enamels, synthetic coating compositions, and the like. These dispersions, either singly or in multiple, may be applied simultaneously or separately to the article or base to be coated to produce a coating layer having unique textures, character, and appearance. For example, such dispersions containing the rods of fibers dispersed therein may be applied with conventional spraying equipment to produce in a single operation, hardened coating film contain-ing the difierently colored particles in discrete form, the particles being readily visible to the naked eye and producing a substantially uniform mottled pleasing finish.

Many new decorative effects may thus be produced by the use of differently colored fibers and by the admixing of one or more of the fibers of different color or of different size and shape. Preferably the fiber particles are of uniform size and such as can be applied by spraying, utilizing conventional apparatus, without clogging or otherwise rendering inoperative the spraying device.

VEHICLE OR MATRIX The preferred matrix or dispersing media are lacquer, such as nitrocellulose or cellulose acetate film-forming compositions which are substantially transparent. Other vehicles may consist of synthetic resin, paint oils, varnishes, or emulsions such as utilized for coating coinpositions of this character.

Examples of coating matrixes or vehicles which can be used in preparing the coating composition in accordance with this invention are nitrocellulose, cellulose acetate, ethyl cellulose, and cellulose ether film-forming constituents, various synthetic and natural resins, varnishes and enamels, oil base paints such as made from vegetable drying and non-drying oils, fish oils, and liquid vehicles comprising polymerized synthetic resins, for example polyvinyls, polystyrenes, phenol formaldehyde, polyvinyl acetates, polyvinyl chlorides, and mixtures thereof, polyacrylic resins, urea formaldehyde resins, water in oil type emulsions and the like.

The dispersing media or matrixes as aforementioned function as a binder for the solid discrete particles which are dispersed therein, forming a relatively viscous composition which may be thinned and applied by spraying or brushing. The dispersions may be thinned by the use of conventional solvents and thinners which are compatible with the matrix and which produce a stabilized coating composition. The particle sizes of the fibers dis persed in the vehicle are preferably such as to be readily suspended during application of the coating composition.

Various materials may be dissolved or suspended in the vehicle along with the fibers, such as dyes, wetting agents, pigments, water-proofing substances, fillers, and

he and which modi y the .fib ustex ure of th huis h. The addition of pigments and fillers, however, are of a limited nature in order 'to avoid the masking of the fibrous texture structure ;which it {l5 desired that the finish simulate.

FIBROUS MATERIALS 'The fibrous particles which are dispersed 'in'the vehicle or matrix, as aforementioned, may comprise various and different types of fibers, either natural .or synthetic. In the preferred coating composition the particles comprise glass fibers or mixtures of glass fibers with synthetic fibers and in which either the glass fibers are colored or the synthetic fibers introduced therewith are colored. Utilizing glass fibers use is suitably made of staple fibers which ar'e i n the form of rods and are about 0.01 to 0.25 inch in length, and about 0.02 to 0.10 inch in thickness, the particles preferably being rod-shaped and such as to term perceptible ridges or raised grain-like portions in the finished coating composition.

Suitable coloring material which may be utilized with or without glass fibers consists of colored artificial fibers such as cellulose acetate or particles which are of a shade or color desired. For example, colored acetate or cellulose ester fibers colored in 'blue or green shades, which are both fast to light and resistant to deterioration, .may be used. An especially useful colored fiber material for this purpose is described in U. S. Patent 2,383,995 and in which the fibers have incorporated therein one or more compounds containing arylamino groups, for example hydroxyl groups, free amino groups, alkylated amino groups, and arylalkylated amino groups are particularly suitable to yield colored fibers which are fast to washing and which will resist bleeding when the fibers are subjected to aqueous treatment. In the case of inorganic fibers such as glass fibers, the fibers are suitably colored by employing oxides of selenium, iron, cobalt, etc., which are added to the molten glass before the same is blown into the form of glass fibers and filaments. By employing a mixture of inorganic and organic fibers various colors in fibrous texture finishes may be produced as desired. The fibers, either colored or uncolored, are suitably dispersed in a vehicle as by stirring the same therein or ball milling to adequately disperse the par ticles and form a coating composition which can be applied as described.

The dispersions containing the particles of glass fibers with or without color may be applied as a single coating or multiple coating, preferably using a conventional spray gun. Where desired, however, the material may be applied by brushing, dipping, or flowing, to produce a coating layer having the texture desired, and wherein multi-color dispersions of differently colored fibers or the like solid matter can be applied to the surface to be finished and dried to provide ,a finish coating film thereover containing the differently colored particles in discrete form. The coating film produces a mottled fibrous eflect whichis readily discernible by-the naked'eye.

Various coating :efiects are readily produced by employing a suitable mixture of fine fibers or filaments "of the desired shapes, :and such as :to produce a finished coating having a texture appearance. The coating film readily covers .in one coat any imperfections of the surface of the article being coated so that a single coat'may be used :to Provide mottled, stipplcd, or texture-like finishes. The diflierent film effects can'be obtained by varying the spray- ;ing consistency and application to the surface to be coated. Thus, by reducing the consistency Ior viscosity of 'the coating composition and the solvent or vehicle carrier .for the fibers, a coarse texture finish is produced, 'whereas with the use of a more liquid composition the coating film produces a finish which is relatively finer in texture and tends toward a gglossier finish than as in "the case of higher viscosity.

The -invention niakes it'p'ossible to apply a single-spray app ic i n o th a ing film s a .to .proyidea substantially homogeneous type finish, or with the application of multiple coating composition simultaneously to produce a heterogeneous coating film composed of a mixture of the dilferent coating material to provide a stipplcd finish.

In the drawing accompanying this application there is illustrated the preferred manner of applying the coating composition to provide the mottled fabric texture-like finish, and wherein there is illustrated ,in

Figure l is a perspective view 'ofa multiple sprayer app'aratus for applying the fiber-containing composition and wherein dual .sprayers are operated concurrently;

Figure 2 is a view in perspective illustrating a panel which has been coated utilizing the coating composition of this invention;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary detail in cross-section, taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 2, and illustrating the coating film as composed of glass fibers and applied onto an article composed of glass, ceramic, or the like base material;

Figure 4 is a similar fragmentary detailed view as Figure 3 and illustrates theapplication of a coating composition containing synthetic fibcr to provide a texturelike finish on a metal sheet or panel; and

Figure 5 is a like view as in Figure l and illustrates-the application of the fiber-like coating composition utilizing a single spray gun.

Referring to the drawings in more detail, 10 designates a panel or suitable base material provided with 'a fibertexturc coating film 11, the coating being suitably applied by the use of a dual sprayer 12 which consists of the spray guns l3 and 14.

The liquid vehicle 15, preferably is contained in a jaror container 16 of the spray gun 13 and the fiber, e. g., staple glass fiber, is contained in the jar or reservoir '17 of the spray gun 14. Where the fiber being used tends to pack or stick together, it may be moistened with organic solvent or suitable thinner such as toluol or ethyl alcohol to provide a slurry of the fibrous mass so that the same can be spray blended with the vehicle applied by the spray gun. I

The coating film as illustrated at 20 of "Figures 1 and 2, upon application and drying to a'hard, tough film presents a fibrous texture finish, the fibers preferably being rodshaped, and as illustrated may comprise staple glass fibers 21, the same being haphazardly distributed throughout the film producing a coating film having a fabric-like texture which is pleasing in appearance and durable. The coating composition may also be applied over glass or ceramic surfaces as shown at 24 in Figure 3.

A somewhat heavier coating and different colored fibers are illustrated at 25 of Figure 4. The fibrous coating in this instance may be applied over a metal base or the like surface as at 26.

In Figure 5, the fibrous texture coating film 28 is applied utilizing a single spray gun 30, the vehicle 3 1 and the fibers 32 being withdrawn simultaneously from the containers 33 and 34 respectively and blended and sprayed together onto the surface to be coated, as illustrated at 35.

Where desired the fibers or solid matter to be applied in the form of coating film may be dispersed in a vehicle such as nitrocellulose lacquer, resin, 'or the like, and applied as by spraying as a single coat and utilizing a single container or spraying apparatus.

Further suitable coating films containing plastic'miaterial such as synthetic resin, for example polyvinyl acetate polymer or polystyrene resin (mol. wt. 50,000 to*75, 000) in which the fibers are dispersed may be applied in the form of multidayers to produce a built-up or laminated structure containing the fibers to providea veneer effect on'metal, wood, or the like base surfaces.

For the production of coating films that are intended 'to'present coarse mottledfini shes it is preferablVto-"emavenue ploy dispersions containing about 1-5 parts by weight of the fibrous material to one part of the vehicle, the proportionate amount of vehicle to fiber material depending in each instance upon the type of fiber material used and the absorptive qualities of the fiber with respect to the vehicle.

To illustrate the invention by specific examples of coating compositions the following are given as typical, although it is to be understood that the invention is not to be specifically limited thereto. The parts or proportions given are by weight unless otherwise set forth.

Example I.--Gloss fiber lacquer fibers Parts by weight Staple glass fibers (0.02" to 0.08 dia.) 25-40 Nitrocellulose lacquer vehicle (alcohol-wet 5 to 6 sec. vis.) 30-60 Blown castor oil 8-12 Ethyl alcohol 6-8 Butyl alcohol 4-6 Toluol 5-l0 The constituents forming the nitrocellulose lacquer were admixed to provide a clear solution and the glass fibers were stirred into the solution to form a dispersion ready for spray application.

Example Il.Oil base fiber coating A dispersion is prepared as described in Example I, using staple glass fibers dispersed in an oil paint vehicle, admixing 4 to 8 pounds of fibers to a gallon of the vehicle. A typical paint vehicle is as follows:

Parts by weight Modified phenol-aldehyde (Amberol #7).. lbs 100 Lead acetate or linoleate lbs 5-9 Bodied linseed oil ..gals 15-25 Toluol gals 8-12 Petroleum naphtha (VMP) gals.... 30-50 The compositions may be thinned as desired with petroleum naphtha for spray applications and the coating film allowed to air dry or it may be baked for 1 hour at 300 F. to produce a tough fiber-texture finish.

Example 1II.-Colored fiber-lacquer A dispersion is prepared as described in Example I employing staple glass fibers made from colored glasses. Such colored glasses may be made, e. g., by incorporating cobalt oxide, to produce a blue colored glass; chromium oxide or copper oxide for green; selenium mixed with cadmium sulfide for red; manganese dioxide for violet; ferrous iron for green and ferric iron for yellow or brown colors.

Example lV.Fiber glass celloulose coating composition A dispersion is prepared as described in Example H employing a 50-50 mixture of staple glass fibers and cellulose acetate fibers containing 1,4-di-(phenylamino)- anthraquinone to provide a blue colored fiber, the glass fibers being uncolored. The coating film provides a composition which upon air drying and baking, as described in Example II, will produce a blue white fibrous colored film.

Example V.-Green fibrous texture The proportionate amount of constituents may be varied to produce a coating composition of the desired consistency for spray application, and such as to produce a fibrous or pleated effect on application and drying.

Example VL-Multi-colored glass fiber composition A lacquer composition as described in Example 1 is made up utilizing a mixture of staple glass fibers in substantially equal proportionate amounts and wherein one portion comprises red glass fibers and the other blue glass fibers, to provide a hammered like mottled finish.

Example VII.Water-oil type fibrous composition In this example an emulsion is used as the vehicle to disperse the glass fibers. The coating material comprises a viscous mixture of water emulsified with urea formaldehyde resin as illustrated below- To the above composition water is added in a sufficient amount to produce an aqueous dispersion of the resinous vehicle and the glass fibers to provide a coating composition suitable for application by spraying, which upon drying produces a mottled fibrous texture finish.

The coating composition can be varied considerably as to the proportionate amounts used and other solids such as particles of sand, pigment, fillers, and the like may be incorporated with the coating composition to produce desired modified efiects and such modifications are intended to come within the scope of this invention.

As will be seen, the invention may be modified and substitutions made in the composition as desired by those skilled in the ant to obtain the benefits and advantages of this invention without departing from the spirit and scope, except as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A liquid coating composition comprising a substantially colorless varnish vehicle and a mixture of glass fibers and cellulose acetate fibers, said cellulose acetate fibers being blue colored by the incorporation of 1,4 di- (phenylamino)-anthraquinone, said colored acetate fibers being present in an amount to provide a colored coating composition, and said glass fibers being uncolored.

2. A liquid coating composition as described in claim 1, and wherein the glass fibers and cellulose acetate fibers are present as a 50-50 mixture of glass fibers and cellulose acetate fibers.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,718,507 Wenzel et al June 25, 1929 1,857,690 Mellanotf May 10, 1932 2,014,947 McCulloch et a1. Sept. 17, 1935 2,102,149 Guthrie Dec. 14, 1937 2,176,837 Ellis Oct. 17, 1939 2,215,340 Vasen Sept. 17, 1940 2,306,781 Francis Dec. 29, 1942 2,314,329 Ericson Mar. 23, 1943 2,384,001 Wesson Sept. 4, 1945 2,433,463 Lampe Dec. 30, 1947 2,549,017 Saifir Apr. 17, 1951 2,574,971 Heltzer Nov. 13, 1951 2,609,321 Patterson Sept. 2, 1952 2,639,759 Simison May 26, 1953.

OTHER REFERENCES Halls, Plastic Applied Coatings, by Spray and Dip,

25-40 50-75 I Plastics, July 1945, pp. 321 to 325. 

1. A LIQUID COATAING COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY COLORLESS VARNISH VEHICLES AND A MIXTURE OF GLASS FIBERS AND CELLULOSE ACETATE FIBERS, SAID CELLULOSE ACETATE FIBERS BEING BLUE COLORED BY THE INCORPATION OF 1.4 DI(PHENYLAMINO)-ANTHRAQUINONE, SAID COLORED ACETATE FIBERS BEING PRESENT IN AN AMOUNT TO PROVIDE A COLORED COATING COMPOSITION, AND SAID GLASS FIBERS BEING UNCOLORED. 